A Sticky Situation
by KillerGeishaYumi
Summary: When Odd starts trying to cook, innocent bystanders are in danger even when he doesn't blow the kitchen up - as Yumi discovers. R&R! Rated T for one paragraph near the end, let me know if you think it's mild enough to drop to K-plus.


**A Sticky Situation**

* * *

Passing through the cafeteria one morning, Yumi heard strange noises coming from the kitchen. Deciding she was curious – it didn't sound like the beginnings of a XANA-attack, but it didn't sound like Rosa either – she went to investigate.

Odd looked up as she came in and chirped a bright "Hey, Yumi!" He and Aelita were in the process of pulling a baking pan filled with…something…out of the large refrigerator.

Yumi stared at them for a long moment before opening her mouth. "Maybe I don't want to know, but…what are you doing?"

"Making fudge," Odd replied, studying the contents of the pan.

Aelita took up the explanation. "Actually, Odd started this without me; he turned up this morning while Jeremy and I were working and asked if we wanted to try some of this after it finished chilling, and Jeremy said I could come if I wanted."

"He wasn't interested?" Yumi asked.

"He said Odd's 'concoctions' didn't always turn out very well."

Odd took pretended offense at the statement. "Hey, this one actually worked out! I had all the ingredients, I measured them exactly, I heated the whole mess, and then I put it in the fridge so that I could clean up…"

Yumi suspected that "go ask Aelita to come clean up" would have been slightly more accurate. He'd only have done all the work himself if the fudge was cool enough to clean with his tongue.

"And now it's been chilling long enough that it should be all set. Want to try some?"

Yumi sighed. "I don't really like fudge, but…"

"You're sure to like this: it's a new recipe!"

That wasn't encouraging, given what Aelita had quoted Jeremy on about Odd's attempts in the kitchen. "If you insist," she said, mostly because she knew he wouldn't give her any peace unless she tasted the stuff.

Grinning brightly, Odd whipped out a butter knife and proceeded to cut a square of fudge. Or try to – it quickly became apparent that somewhere during the preparation something had gone wrong. The fudge wasn't separating into tidy squares; it was oozing instead.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Aelita asked as Yumi went for a spoon.

"No, it's supposed to be…well, like dense custard."

Yumi came back with the spoon and tried to scoop out the serving that Odd was trying to cut. The spoon went in readily enough; it even came up. But the rest of the fudge wouldn't let go of what she'd scooped without a fight, and long strings trailed down from a larger spoonful than she'd really meant to get.

"Are you sure it chilled long enough?" Yumi asked, trying to carefully shake some of the fudge back off the spoon into the pan.

"Positive – it's supposed to chill for an hour, and I set a timer." Odd flicked the knife up to scrape the underside of Yumi's spoon. Then he licked the fudge off his knife.

"I think you made taffy," Yumi said wryly, eyeing the pan.

"Taffy or fudge, it tastes okay," Odd told her, waving the knife around the room.

Aelita stared at Yumi's spoon. "Ah, Yumi, you'd better lick your spoon or something, it's about to…"

Yumi saw what Aelita had seen almost too late: that some of the goopy mess on her spoon was starting to ooze off. She yelped and got the spoon to her mouth, with the intention of licking off the glob, but said glob dripped onto her chin before she could get her tongue all the way out. Sighing with resign, she put the rest of the spoon in her mouth.

It was sweet to the point of disgusting, and seemed to be gluing her mouth shut. Yumi grimaced crossly. It was too big to swallow in one gulp, as well; she'd be working at this mouthful for a while.

Odd laughed. "What do you think? Should I call Ulrich and give some to him?"

Yumi shook the spoon at him and tried to tell him off – to no avail, of course: it's hard to make any sound other than "mm" when you can't open your mouth or move your tongue.

"I think she likes it," Odd told Aelita with a grin.

Yumi threw the spoon into the sink and stormed out, still trying to swallow some of the overlarge mouthful. She was so focused on that task that she didn't notice Ulrich approaching until she ran into him.

"Whoa, Yumi – what's on your face?"

Yumi jabbed a thumb over her shoulder and said, "Mmm-mmm," hoping he would translate it as "Ask Odd." Then, realizing what would happen next, she put a hand on his chest to stop him and let out a longer chain of mumbles. _On second thought, _don't_ ask Odd._

"Did Rosa let Odd in the kitchen again?"

Yumi nodded.

"You'd think she'd learn…here, let me…" Ulrich lifted a hand, with the clear intention of wiping the taffy-fudge off her chin with his thumb.

Yumi caught his hand and shook her head. He'd have to wash his hands afterwards, and the closest sink was in the kitchen.

"What…no, wait, strike that. Was Odd making taffy?"

Yumi thought about that. No, he wasn't, but that was what he got; was that a yes or a no?

Ulrich apparently realized that was a bad question. He tried again. "Was he _trying_ to make taffy?"

Yumi shook her head.

"That's what he got, though, isn't it?"

_Perceptive_ man; no wonder she liked him. She nodded again.

Ulrich looked carefully around – why, to make sure no one was looking? Then he reached up and drew her face down to his level. "I suppose I could tell him that I already tried his concoction. It would even be true." Ulrich carefully licked the taffy off her chin. Then he smiled sheepishly at her expression and started to back off.

All at once Yumi made her decision: she grabbed Ulrich and drew him back. She knew the minute he'd figured out what step two was because his eyes got huge.

_It's not a kiss, you moron; I'm just giving you some of this mouthful so that I can swallow what's left._ The goop didn't want to let go, though, so they were standing there like that for a few minutes while Yumi shoved at it with her tongue. She didn't even get angry when Ulrich got his tongue in her mouth, trying to help.

Finally they drew back, Yumi with a lot less taffy in her mouth and Ulrich making some interesting faces over his new mouthful. Then they both noticed a strange, high-pitched noise and turned to see.

It was Sissi, staring at them both in outrage and trying to speak. "You…you…"

Yumi wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingertips, eyeing Sissi crossly; those false-start sentences seemed to be to her address. _I'll pound her into the floor if she calls me a slut._

Odd suddenly swept out of the kitchen with an ominously full spoon in hand. "Hey, Ulrich, I thought I heard you out here – want to try my –"

Ulrich spun, grabbed the spoon from Odd, and whirled back around to land the spoon right in Sissi's wide-open mouth.

Yumi gulped most of her mouthful down and started laughing breathlessly; Sissi's outrage had found a new target, if only she could unglue her mouth enough to speak.

"I hope Odd remembers the recipe," Yumi said as Ulrich escorted her away. Her voice was a little slurry because her tongue _still_ felt coated in taffy, but at least now she could talk. "It's great for shutting Sissi up."

"Mm," Ulrich agreed, smirking over his shoulder at Sissi. Then he swallowed and said, his voice more slurred than Yumi's, "That stuff is disgusting."

"I know, right? What a sticky situation."


End file.
